New Delhi: In a major move by the Modi Government to give more teeth to anti-hijacking laws, the civil aviation ministry is planning to introduce a new anti-hijacking law called “Anti-hijacking Act, 2014” thereby ‘repealing’ the current Anti-Hijacking Act of 1982.
Major provisions proposed in the new law include incorporation of death penalty for convicted hijackers in case of loss of life of passengers, treating conspirators on a par with those actually carrying out the act of hijacking and confiscation of property of the guilty.
The proposal which is part of the “100 days-action plan” of the civil aviation ministry is ready and will soon be examined by Ashok Gajapathi Raju.
The ambit of hijacking is also expected to be widened from just ‘in-flight’ (once the doors of the aircraft have closed) to ‘in-service’ which means the hijacking will apply to acts of violence or force to take over the aircraft on ground when the aircraft doors have not yet been fully secured.
“The move is designed to strengthen the current anti-hijacking laws. Incorporation of death penalty has also been suggested in the proposed law,” sources said.
